SAN DIEGO, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today the termination of its Phase 2 clinical trial of CTS-1027 in HCV patients. This decision follows reports of laboratory abnormalities and adverse events in a subset of clinical trial participants.

The top priority of Conatus is patient safety, and the Company has made the decision to halt this study. Conatus is conducting a thorough review of the available data to assess any future development of the compound.

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative human therapeutics in the areas of fibrotic disease and oncology. Conatus' lead drug candidate, emricasan (IDN-6556) is in development as a potential therapy for a variety of fibrotic diseases. Fibrotic diseases affect millions of people worldwide and can be caused by many different types of injuries. Conatus was founded by the executive management team of Idun Pharmaceuticals in July 2005 following the sale of Idun to Pfizer. Conatus acquired the Idun subsidiary from Pfizer in 2010. For additional information, please visit www.conatuspharma.com.